Black Country trio invest in new hotel
A CONSORTIUM of Black Country businessmen has invested £1m to give a new lease of life to a West Bromwich pub.
Fred Bartram, Craig Hodson and Stewart Bowen have ploughed the money into the renovation and refurbishment of the former Five Ways venue.
After four months work, the new Hare & Five Hounds Hotel and Bellagio Italian restaurant will shortly open its doors for business.
The trio are each directors of a Tipton-based engineering and construction group which specialises in developing and refurbishing properties. The three men have spent their working lives in and around Sandwell and all are based locally to the new project.
The new venture will be managed by Paolo Recina, former manager of the San Carlo restaurant in Birmingham.
During his time as manager, the restaurant won many accolades, including The Times Top Ten Italian Restaurants and Les Routiers Hospitality and Service Award.
The new hotel features 12 bedrooms, all of which are en-suite, including one suite suitable for disabled occupants. All follow the venue’s contemporary interior design.
The Bellagio Restaurant will cater for around 100 diners, serving both lunch and dinner. It will offer traditional Italian cuisine and will have the benefit of an exclusive hotel bar.
Mr Bartram said he and partners were keen to overcome the negative image attached to the former pub, which had a reputation as a problem venue and which was ultimately closed when police objected to the issuing of a new licence.
“I would like all local residents to be assured the all new Hare & Five Hounds Hotel and Bellagio Restaurant will be a totally different venue to its predecessor,” said Mr Bartram.
“We have carefully developed the site to create a venue that West Bromwich will be proud of and which will attract a different clientele.”
To ensure the venue’s commercial viability the owners have secured a 24-hour licence, a move which required them to overcome a number of objections.
In order to present a strong case to the licencing authority, the investors turned to local law firm Challinors, which has an office in West Bromwich, to advise them.
Andrew Lee, a solicitor in the firm’s licensing team and dispute resolution group, put together a list of self-imposed conditions to illustrate to Sandwell council that the owners were committed to making the venue a success.
The package was successful and the licence granted. The new venue has created 25 jobs and it will open for business later this month.
